When Jack Goldsmith took over the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in 2003, he reviewed and ultimately withdrew some of OLC's legal opinions underpinning the war on terror -- including the rationales for the administration's interrogation policies and its warrantless wiretapping program.

Its duty is to pass legal judgment on what the administration wants to do. The vice president and his counsel, David Addington, used this powerful Justice Department office to build the legal framework enabling them to gather as much power as possible for the presidency.